Michigan over Indiana 73-69

[tornado]

Just over on the Big Ten Network..this was actually a pretty entertaining game...
considering Indiana came into this game 3-9 and Michigan was 5-7 in Big Ten play...

Matt Roth simply never gets to play unless Tom Crean is desperate at the end of a game for a 3-pointer....he's being robbed - hes being played behind walk ons!

But I lost count after the 500th time the announcers talked about Indiana's "YOUTH"..and why they aren't winning games because they're so inexperienced!!

Gimme a freaking break -- Michigan is way younger...just look at who they play!
The KEY Michigan players are:
Tim Hardaway, Jr - FRESHMAN
Jordan Morgan - FRESHMAN
Zach Novak - JUNIOR
Darius Morris - SOPHOMORE
Evan Smotrycz - FRESHMAN
Stu Douglass - JUNIOR

Meanwhile, Indiana does have talent!
They start a 5th year senior (Rivers), two juniors Verdell Jones & Tom Pritchard, and two sophomores who are highly rated 4-Star kids, Hulls & Watford, and who are their best players...and they have a couple talented freshmen..

Michigan's top player today, a freshman - Hardaway, was no where near as highly rated as the IU guys...
So I just don't get it why the announcers jam that Indiana is way younger stuff down everyone's throat??
Indiana does have decent talent...Watford is a definite 1st round NBA guy!

Actually IU played well in the 2nd half staying in the game when Michigan missed all their free throws...
Indiana has some talented guys...but they simply grab the ball and do playground moves one-on-one..and there appears to be little or no actual offense or coaching going on.

Anyway -- Michigan fans did NOT storm the floor after the win over Indiana like the IU fans did a couple weeks ago when they beat Michigan in Bloomington. and they never did explain why Oladipo stayed on the floor after what was obviously his 5th foul.
In a down year in the Big Ten -- Indiana still may end up with only 3 or 4 wins -- not good for the talent they have..

[Nacho]

As an avid Michigan fan, this team is fun to watch. As you stared, they are loaded with youth and getting better and better as the year goes on. They have no seniors and many of their freshman are playing at a higher level then expected, especially Tim Haradway Jr. They still have a chance to make it to the NCAA tourney this year if they pull an upset or two and win a game or two in the Big Ten tourney. Should be fun to watch, for me at least...

[ancona flash]

Just over on the Big Ten Network..this was actually a pretty entertaining game...
considering Indiana came into this game 3-9 and Michigan was 5-7 in Big Ten play...

Matt Roth simply never gets to play unless Tom Crean is desperate at the end of a game for a 3-pointer....he's being robbed - hes being played behind walk ons!

But I lost count after the 500th time the announcers talked about Indiana's "YOUTH"..and why they aren't winning games because they're so inexperienced!!

Gimme a freaking break -- Michigan is way younger...just look at who they play!
The KEY Michigan players are:
Tim Hardaway, Jr - FRESHMAN
Jordan Morgan - FRESHMAN
Zach Novak - JUNIOR
Darius Morris - SOPHOMORE
Evan Smotrycz - FRESHMAN
Stu Douglass - JUNIOR

Meanwhile, Indiana does have talent!
They start a 5th year senior (Rivers), two juniors Verdell Jones & Tom Pritchard, and two sophomores who are highly rated 4-Star kids, Hulls & Watford, and who are their best players...and they have a couple talented freshmen..

Michigan's top player today, a freshman - Hardaway, was no where near as highly rated as the IU guys...
So I just don't get it why the announcers jam that Indiana is way younger stuff down everyone's throat??
Indiana does have decent talent...Watford is a definite 1st round NBA guy!

Actually IU played well in the 2nd half staying in the game when Michigan missed all their free throws...
Indiana has some talented guys...but they simply grab the ball and do playground moves one-on-one..and there appears to be little or no actual offense or coaching going on.

Anyway -- Michigan fans did NOT storm the floor after the win over Indiana like the IU fans did a couple weeks ago when they beat Michigan in Bloomington. and they never did explain why Oladipo stayed on the floor after what was obviously his 5th foul.
In a down year in the Big Ten -- Indiana still may end up with only 3 or 4 wins -- not good for the talent they have..

On Matt Roth, have you seen many IU games? I've seen bits and pieces of a couple and Roth is not getting robbed. He is a one dimensional guy who can shoot 3's and when he's not shooting well, he provides little help to IU. The Illinois game was a prime example. He came in a jacked up 3-4 3's and missed all of them if I remember right. Gave Illinois every chance to come back, which obviously they didn't.

I really wish Matt well and I'd love to see him excel and represent our area, but I think Slick Kelvin was whispering sweet nothings into his ear about being able to play in the B10 when he was being recruited.

[tornado]

On Matt Roth, have you seen many IU games? ....

well, I kind of agree with you...he is somewhat a liability on defense...
but Indiana really struggles to get scoring beyond Watford & Hulls...

Most teams, if they have a shooter like Roth - could or would get him a few stints in each half when the opponents' defensive setup allows...
Crean plays Jeremiah Rivers as much as anyone else on that team...and I understand the need for some senior leadership...
but Rivers logs three times the minutes Roth does and still doesn't score any more points than Matt.

Matt scores 0.45 points per minute played...which is as good or BETTER than every other player on the team except Watford who has taken FIVE times as many shots as Matt.
Rivers scores 0.16 points per minute played....
If MR is happy to get 3-5 minutes per game and spend his career there and be known as the IU player in all of their history with the most losses during his career...then go for it!

PS -- even tho he signed under Kelvin Sampson -- he had a chance to be released from his LOI when Crean was hired but chose not to thinking with a depleted roster he'd get tons of playing time.


BTW -- the scuffle between Rivers & Novak was interesting -- I thought Novak got away with a solid forearm to the face then when Rivers retaliated, he got the "T"..
BU recruited had to try to get Novak, but he is kind of a dirty player. More than once Novak has been penalized for elbows to the face...

http://www.cleveland.com/osu/index.ssf/2009/01/buckeyes_claim_victory_and_a_w.html

http://www.cleveland.com/buckeyeblog/index.ssf/2009/01/ohio_state_basketball_michgian.html